About the program
Is the program suitable for you?
Our summer student program is addressed to senior university students of natural sciences, life sciences, medicine, technology and related areas, who want to join our research teams in Dresden some time between July and September. University students from all over the world are welcome to apply.
What is the goal of the program?
Research at the HZDR has many facets, providing students with the unique opportunity of working in natural sciences, life sciences, medicine or technology while focusing on fundamental or application driven research and development. Summer students will be an integral part of research groups. The tasks, which will be assigned to the summer students, will include hands-on operations in the labs to data analysis, scientific computing and theoretical science. It is a good opportunity to learn about day-to-day scientific life.
How long will the Summer Student program last?
Succesful candidates for the HZDR summer student program are welcome to join our research teams from July till September 2027. The duration of your stay, however, is fixed at 8 weeks. It is mandatory that participants are present during the entire 8 weeks duration of their project and during the entire lecture period (calendar week 30 to 34).
In which language is the program conducted?
English will be the language of communication at the workplace. We expect applicants to be fluent in English (spoken and written).
Who will become an HZDR summer student?
Participants will be selected based on the quality of their resume, their academic grades and the content of the letter of recommendation from a professor, group leader or scientist from their university, capable of evaluating the applicant’s performance and achievements.
What kind of support will the students receive?
- Scientific lectures (between calendar week 30 and 34)
- Individual discussions and meetings with their supervisor
- Feedback about their overall performance at the end of the program
- Official invitation letter after positive evaluation (e.g. for visa application)
- Information about daily allowance and accomodation will be provided soon.
Application and selection process
We are inviting students from all over the world to apply between 02 November 2026 and 24 January 2027. The deadline for the application ends at 10 p.m. Central European Time (9 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time). Please check the important dates. Please check the eligibility criteria. We begin the selection process immediately after the application deadline. The selection process finishes by end of March 2027.
Contact and communication
Please refrain from asking questions about the progress of your application. Most of the questions about eligibility and procedures are answered elswhere on this webpage (FAQ). In case you have a specific question or you encounter any technical issues during submission, you are of course welcome to contact us by email: summer@hzdr.de.
